0:05Skip to 0 minutes and 5 secondsHi. I'm James Robinson, and I'm the lead trainer for Picademy-- the Raspberry Pi Foundation's free teacher training programme. In my 10 years of teaching in UK schools, I've taught ICT and computing in a range of settings with varied age groups. Something we're really passionate about at the Foundation is physical computing, which involves using a computer to interact with real world objects. This helps make computing concrete and tangible, and it's also great fun. During this four week course, you will learn to write physical computing projects using the Raspberry Pi computer and consider how you might introduce these ideas into your classroom. You'll learn how to control an output device and gather data using sensors.

0:45Skip to 0 minutes and 45 secondsAt the end of the course, you'll apply what you've learned to your own digital making project. To make the most of the course, we highly recommend that you take each of the many opportunities to discuss ideas with other educators and share your learning. In this first week, you will consider the importance of success and failure when learning, set up your Raspberry Pi for the first time. You'll also write your first simple Python programme. Before you get started, please take a moment to use the comment function below to introduce yourself to other people taking part in this course. Thank you.

Welcome to Week 1

Hello, and welcome to Teaching Physical Computing with Raspberry Pi and Python. By taking part in this course, you are demonstrating an openness to personal growth and lifelong learning. Completing the course may help you teach better, learn a new skill, or dust off a few cobwebs.

We at The Raspberry Pi Foundation have a mission to put the power of digital making into the hands of people all over the world. We’ve trained thousands of teachers and engaged hundreds of thousands of young people in our educational programmes, including through a global network of over 10,000 Code Clubs an 1600 CoderDojos. Our free educational resources are used by millions of people every year.

I’m James Robinson, and I am your lead educator for this course. I am excited to be sharing our passion for digital making with you.

This course will introduce you to Physical Computing, showing you how easy it is to create a system that responds to, and controls, the physical world using computer programs running on a Raspberry Pi. Over 4 weeks, you’ll develop your knowledge of simple electronics and computing, setting up your Raspberry Pi and writing your first program using the Python programming language. You’ll apply your newfound knowledge to a series of challenges, including controlling an LED with Python, using a button press to control a circuit, and making a button and LED game.

If you’re a teacher, you’ll also have the chance to develop ideas for using the Raspberry Pi and Python in your classroom, and to connect with a network of other educators.

We hope this course will help build a movement of educators to put the power of digital making into the hands of young people all over the world.